International Education Staff

Amy Otis-De Grau, Director

Amy Otis-De Grau is the Director of International Education. She is a 1996 Hope grad who has been working in the Fried International Center for the past 15 years. Raised overseas, Amy is very familiar with crossing borders and adjusting to new cultures. She works with study abroad programs, international students, and with short-term programs from Japan and England... Read More

Over the years she actively was involved in advising the Hope Asian Perspective Association (HAPA), Mortar Board, and the International Christian Fellowship (ICF). Amy currently serves on the City of Holland International Relations Commission and on the Academic Council of IES Abroad and sits on the boards of the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance and the Phelps Scholars Program. In her free time, Amy enjoys biking, reading, backpacking, camping, traveling and hanging out with the international and third culture students.

During the 2001-02 academic year she was granted a year's leave of absence and studied at the Torchbearer Bible School in Holsbybrunn, Sweden. In 2007 Amy completed the MA in Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies from the School for International Training.

Habeeb Awad, International Student Advisor

Habeeb Awad is a Palestinian-American, who was raised in Beit Sahour, Palestine, earned his B.A. degree from Northwestern College in Iowa and an M.Div from Western Theological Seminary. He assumed his responsibilities at Hope College as International Student Advisor in the fall of 2000. As a Palestinian-American, Habeeb offers a diverse perspective in the lives of students... Read More

Habeeb enjoys interacting with international students. They are at such an exciting time of life where they are doing a lot of personal growth, clarifying of values and beliefs, and deciding what to do with their newfound freedom. He finds it interesting, challenging, and motivating to engage in dialogue with international students and to foster relationships with them challenging them to grow as people.

Kendra Williams, Special Programs Coordinator

Kendra Williams joined the Office of International Education in the fall of 2000. In addition to enjoying all of the International Students, she handles the bookkeeping, off-campus study applications, scheduling of appointments and many other projects... Read More

Along with her duties at Hope College, Kendra enjoys participating in volleyball and golf. She spends a great deal of time as a spectator at all of her twin sons' sporting events. Kendra has been with the college since April 1985.